Automatic electric cut-out.



PATBNTBD APR. 5, 1904.

C. MILBURN. l AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC CUT-CUT.

APPLIGATION FILED MAB. 31, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

f c 1 M1 A n of .w P w N w M IIIIIIIIIIIIIlllllllllllllllllilllllllIIIIIII.

UNITED STATES Patented April 5, 1904.

' GUY MLBURN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC CUT-OUT.

sPEcIFrcATroN forming para of Letters Patent No. 756,516, dated April 5,1904.

Application filed March 31, 1903.

To al?, whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY MILBURN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Automatic Electric Out Outs, of which thefollowing is-a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic cut-outs forelectric systems, and is especially designed for arc-lamps, although itis to be understood and will be manifest from the followingl descriptionand accompanying drawings that the invention is applicable to otherelectric-lighting systems.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved cut-out whichwill automatically establish a shunt-circuit around any lamp or light inthe system whenever the circuit is interrupted by any damage to ordefect in such lamp.

The invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements,andcombinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a top planview of my improved automatic cut-out with the lidor cover of the boxremoved; and Fig. `2 is a transverse section of the box,'showing theparts in side elevation.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A designates a box in which theparts of the apparatus are assembled. To one side ,of said box isrigidly secured a bracket a., provided with a segmental slotted guidea', at one of whose ends is an offset arm a2, in which the shank t ofthe armature b is mounted to move longitudinally, said armature beingintended for attraction by an electromagnet B, having in this instancetwo spools or helices.

An oscillating arm cis pivoted at one end to the bracket a, as indicatedin Fig. 1, and extends through the slot of the segmental guide a', andsaid oscillating arm is secured by a flexible connection, such as achain CZ, to the shank of the armature and is also secured lto oneend ofa tension-spring e, whose other end is adjustably fastened to one sideof the box A by a screw-rod e and thumb-nut e2, the tension of thespring being in a direction to Serial No. 150,388. (No model.)

draw the oscillating arm c and armature I) away from the electromagnetB.

The free end of the oscillating arm c extends over and contacts with arocking shunt-barf, which 'is pivotally balanced intermediate of itsends on an axis g', securedto the upper ends of two posts g, and one endof said shunt-bar carries a plate f', arranged to act as an armature foran electromagnet it, while the other end of said shunt-bar is connectedto a tensionspring l, adjustably fastened to the bottom of the box bymeans of a screw-rod Z and thumbnut Z2. The said spring tends to rockthe shunt-'bar in a direction to bring the end of the latter intoengagement with a contact-plate m, which latter is in thepresentinstance adjustably fastened to a side of the box in such position thatthe shunt-bar when rocked by its spring will come into frictionalcontact with it, as plainly indicated in the drawings.

The wiring of the parts'consists of a wire n, connecting theelectromagnet B with a binding-post n', intended for the attachmentthereto of a positive or feed wire, a wire o, connecting saidelectromagnet with a bindingpost o', from which the current leads to,for instance, the upper carbon of an arc-lamp, and said wire alsoconnecting the electromagnet B with the contact-plate m, and two wires pq, one of which connects a binding-post p` (to which the current fromthe lower carbon passes in this instance) with the electromagnet it, theother wireq connecting said electromagnet t with another binding-post 1,from which the current vpasses finally out of the box. Said wire q isalso connected by wire 1 to one of the posts g, between which theshuntbar f is mounted.

When the current is cut od 'from the box A, as it would be, forinstance, in the daytime if the box were included in a streetlightingsystem, the spring e, which is stronger than the spring Z, will draw theoscillating arm in a direction to so slide over the rocking shunt-bar f,as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. l, as to hold the latter free fromcontact with the plate m and to hold the plate f down against the coreof the electromagnet L. The parts are now in readiness for the operationof lighting the arc-lamp in whose circuit my apl'iaratus is introduced.XV hen the current is turned on, it will normally `flow through theelectromagnet B, energizing the same and attractil'ig the armature whichin its Inoveinent will draw the oscillating arm c backward against thetension ot' its spring until it takes position beyond the axis of theshunt-bar f, as seen in Fig. l of the drawings. The said shunt-bar,however, is not permitted to rock from the position just beforedescribed, owing to the fact that the current is also flowing out of thebox to the upper carbon and thence back again from the lower carbon tothe wire 7), whence it energizes the electromagnet 7L and attracts theplate f and finally flows out of the box through the wire- Q. The partswill stay in the position just describechwhich is the position shown infull lines in the drawings, so long as the circuit in the arc-lamp isclosed and the latter continues in working order.

Should any accident happen to the lamp resulting' in momentarilybreaking or opening the circuit, the electromagnets will both becomedeenergized and the spring c will cause the oscillating arm c to move ina direction toward the magnet but at the same time the spring Zwill rockthe shunt-bar finto contact with the plate fm and before theoscillatingI arm c has moved to the other side of the pivot y. As soonas this contact is made between the shunt-bar and plate m a shuntcircuitwill be established, thc electromagnet B energized, and the arm c drawnback to its former position by means of the armature The shunt-circuitis thus established from the electromagnet B, through wire o, to platem, to shunt-bar f, one of the posts g and wires r and q out of the box,to the next lam p, thereby cutting out the defective lamp without at'-vfecting any other lamp in the system, and when the current is turnedoff the oscillating' arm c, having assumed the position shown in dottedlines in F ig. l, will mechanically hold the shunt-bar out of contactwith the plate m, so that after the defective lamp has been fixed andthe current is again turned on a normal and not a shunt circuit will beestablished. It is of course understood that one oi" my improvedcut-outs is to be employed in the circuit of every lamp of the lightingsystem.

iVhile the accom panyi ng drawings and fo regoing description discloseone form of' my invention, it is to be understood that changes maybemade in thc details oi' construction and arrangment oi' parts withoutderail-ting from the scope of the invention delined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus fully described lnyinvention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. In an electric-lightingsystem the combination of a normal circuit through a lamp including anelectromagnet, it; a shimt-circuit around the lamp and also around saidmagnet and including a shunt-bar held by said magnet in a position tokeep the shunt-circuit open while the nornialcircuit is closed; meansfor rocking said bar to close the shunt-circuit when said magnet isdeenergized bythe opening of the normal circuit, and means whereby whenthe current is cut ofi the shunt-bar will be automatically set to openthe shunt-circuit and the normal circuit reestablished. v 2. In anelectric-lighting system, the combination of a normal circuit throughthelamp, including two electromagnets; a rocking shunt-bar arranged tobeheld by one of said magnets in an inoperative position; a shuntcircuitaround the lamp; means tor rocking,r said bar to establish theslumt-circuit when said magnet is denergized; and an oscillating' armarranged to be actuated by the other magnet and provided with meanswhereby it will also hold said shunt-bar in an inoperative position.

3. An automatic eut-out, conu'n'ising two electromagnets; a normalcircuit in which said magnets are included; a shunt-circuit consistingoi' a contact-lvilate, m, connected with the normal circuit, a wire, v',also connected with the normal circuit; a post, (7, connected tothewire, fr; a rockingshunt-bar mounted ou said post and arranged tocontact with the plate, m to establish the sluint-circuit, and normallyheld out of contact therewith by one ot' said electromagnets; and anoscillating arm arranged to sweep over said shunt-bar to hold the sameout ot' contact with the plate, mf, and actuated by the other magnet torelease the shunt-bar.

Ifn testimony whereot I afiix my signature in the presence oi' twowitnesses.

GUY MILBURN.

Vitnesses:

G. FERDINAND Voer, GnAnLns B. MANN, J 1'.

